The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has officially rolled out its revamped Unified Member Portal following a major scheduled system upgrade. While the updated portal aims to deliver a faster, more secure, and highly reliable user experience, it introduces critical operational shifts that all provident fund members need to know.
Most notably, primary core onboarding services—including UAN activation and new UAN generation—have been completely removed from the main EPFO website and transitioned exclusively to the central government’s UMANG app, now leveraging mandatory Aadhaar-based Face Authentication for enhanced data security.
Major Service Migrations & How to Navigate Them
1. UAN Activation Shifted to UMANG App
Members can no longer activate their Universal Account Number (UAN) via the web portal. To complete activation, members must use the mobile application protocol:
- Download and log into the UMANG app.
- Navigate to the EPFO Services tab.
- Select ‘UAN Services Through Face Auth’ and tap ‘UAN Activation’.
- Fulfill the Aadhaar-based Face Authentication check to complete the activation process.
2. Generating a New UAN or Retrieving a Forgotten One
- New UAN Generation: Existing EPF members who were never formally allotted a UAN can generate one through the UMANG app by verifying their registered mobile number, inputting member details, completing Aadhaar Face Authentication, and linking the new UAN to their active PF account.
- UAN Retrieval: If you have forgotten your UAN, the newly upgraded web portal features a streamlined recovery module. Members can retrieve it by entering their registered mobile number, submitting valid identity/address proof, and validating the request via an OTP.
3. Death Claim Facility Remains on EPFO Portal
Unlike onboarding features, filing a death claim remains supported directly on the web-based EPFO Unified Member Portal. Beneficiaries must prepare the following criteria before executing a digital submission:
- An Aadhaar-linked active mobile number.
- Valid bank account proof (a scanned copy of a canceled check or the passbook).
- The official death certificate of the deceased EPF member.
- Applicable date-of-birth proofs for the beneficiary.
- File Constraints: All documents must be uploaded strictly in PDF format, must not exceed a size limit of 2 MB per file, and the file names must not contain any spaces.
What is the UMANG App?
The Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) is an all-in-one digital platform developed by the Government of India to aggregate central and state public services. By converting UMANG into the primary gateway for Face Authentication-driven UAN setups, the EPFO aims to systematically reduce physical footfall at regional offices while mitigating identity fraud across the country’s retirement savings ecosystem.